Task Shifting in Primary Care – Are Nurses Ready for a More Autonomous Role?
A recent Cochrane review suggested that nurses delivering primary care obtain not only the same or better health outcomes as doctors, but also achieve higher levels of patient satisfaction. Could this mean that nurse...
Fathers in the Birthing Room – Should Midwives Be More Supportive?
Over the past few decades, the presence of fathers in the birthing room has moved from being accepted to expected. With this evolution has come increasing pressure to be the ideal birth partner and to enjoy the birth experience...
Intuitive Intelligence in Clinical Practice
Intuitive knowing is a quality that is highly regarded by many nurses but with the current focus on evidence-based practice, it’s an ability that is becoming overlooked and undervalued. According to Rovithis et al. (2018),...
Smoking in Pregnancy: A Danger to Mother and Baby
Smoking in pregnancy poses a significant health problem for both mother and baby. Many women who smoke will quit by themselves before becoming pregnant and others will stop once their pregnancy is confirmed. For some women,...
Exploring the Evidence for Water Birth
Water birth is proving an increasingly popular choice for many labouring women, yet controversy remains about its benefits and, above all, its safety. Why are Water Births Becoming So Popular? Water births, or water immersion in...
The Midwife and the Doula: the Case for Continuous Care in Labour
The very essence of midwifery care is to support a woman throughout her labour. For decades the concept of ‘continuity of care’ has been at the heart of maternity policies everywhere. In practice however, up to 85% of mothers...
Closing the Theory-Practice Gap: Is it Possible?
Moving to different clinical environments and embracing new responsibilities can be stressful and challenging for even the most experienced practitioners. But, for newly qualified staff managing the gap between theory and...
Assessing the Risks of Postpartum Haemorrhage
Somewhere in the world a woman dies every 4 minutes from postpartum haemorrhage (Durdas 2012). As well as being a terrifying experience for the mother it can also be one of the most serious and alarming emergencies that a Midwife...
Benchmarking: It’s All About Performance
Benchmarking in healthcare offers a practical way of measuring and comparing services. It can help improve performance, set standards of excellence and identify gaps in learning. So how is it done? What is Benchmarking?...
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) & Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD)
Prenatal Alcohol Exposure. Is there a safe limit? Drinking alcohol prior to conception and during pregnancy can have significant adverse outcomes for the fetus. Both Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder and the more severe Fetal...
Motivational Interviewing
The Stages of Change Model: (View the full Ausmed lecture: Communication and Engaging with People with Addictions) Making changes to established habits can be challenging and simply giving patients advice about the lifestyle...
Gestational Diabetes
What is Gestational Diabetes? During the last three months of pregnancy, approximately 7 % of women have such high levels of glucose in their blood that their body cannot produce enough insulin to absorb it all. This is known as...